One can’t really talk about Migi & Dali without noting the very sad passing of the source manga’s author, Sano Nami.  Best known for Sakamoto Desu ga?, she was only 36 when she died this summer.  That doesn’t reflect either way on the material, of course (the manga is complete).  But it does make me root for this adaptation – for it to be good, for starters.  I liked Sakamoto but I don’t consider it to be great, and I know little about this series apart from the fact that the reviews are quite good.

Sano-sensei had a very particular sense of style, both in terms of character design and humor.  The characters always put me in mind of Edward Gorey for some reason, despite there not being an obvious physical similarity.  As for the humor, I’m not even sure how I’d describe it but you know it when you see it.  Absurdist, certainly, often macabre – and Migi to Dari certainly is both of those.  She makes no attempt whatsoever at realism – Sakamoto Desu ga? almost played like a piece of performance art.  This series is just as outlandish, but seemingly a bit more… linear, maybe?

Migi & Dali (roughly, the Japanese for “Right” and “Left”) are a pair of 12 year-old orphan twins (though that fact isn’t immediately revealed on-screen).  A childless older couple (Matsuyama Takashi and Mitsuishi Kotono) come to an orphanage looking to adopt (critically) one child.  The boys immediately hatch a scheme (revealed in the post-credits scene) to win over the old couple without revealing the duality of their nature, and get adopted under the name Hitori (“alone”).  It’s a ridiculous plan and like all the ridiculous plans in this show (which is all of them, pretty much) it works perfectly.

Migi is played by Hori Shun and Dari by Murase Ayumu, and it was really critical that two seiyuu this good were cast in these roles, because in a Sano series the actors carry a lot of weight in selling the comedy.  That these two could keep their twin-ness a secret from their affable but something bumbling new parents is of course preposterous, but that’s not really the point.  The boys have an absurd solution to every part of the challenge (including mundane stuff like keeping both of them fed).  The obvious horror angle is played up, but I don’t think with any real intent – Hitori isn’t interested in anything truly nefarious, just in living the good life as much as possible.

There are some really funny moments in the premiere, especially with Kotono as the adoptive mother.  When Hitori says they only want two sets of their standard uniform (of course for this to work, the lads must always be wearing identical outfits) her response is “You’re not Steve Jobs!”.  She also has a great meltdown while living out her dream of baking a cherry pie with her kid (whatever, ROFL), letting out a lout “Shit!” while trying to make a lattice top crust for the pie.  As for Dad, his dreams involve getting a shoulder massage and lifting his kid on his shoulders (considering these kids are almost teenagers and he’s not a young man, that proves predictably disastrous).

I did find the humor in Sakamoto Desu ga? grew a bit repetitive in time, so that’s always a danger.  Aside from that I’m quite curious to see where Migi & Dali goes tonally.  The premise here could allow the series either to go quite dark or wind up being rather earnest and heartwarming – in relative terms anyway, as Sano would never fully embrace that track.  I think this has the potential to be a bit more substantial than Sakamoto, but that’s just a hunch.  In any case I did enjoy the premiere, and I’m certainly inclined to stick around for a while at least.